Sparks in Cosmic Dust — Robert Appleton

The final frontier is shrinking. Interstellar Planetary Administration sanctions are forcing the border colonies of deep space into extinction. Kappa Max is one of the last major cutthroat outposts, home to the lawless and the lonely…

--Varinia Wilcox, the star attraction of a lucrative bordello gambling house.
--Solomon Bodine, spurned by his lover and looking for distraction.
--Clayton Barry, AWOL and a few drinks away from having to live in the gutter.
--Lyssa Foaloak, a double-crossing criminal who'll kill anyone for a few credits.

Four strangers, each with secrets that could cost them their freedom, are desperate to get off-planet. They meet Grace Peters, a cynical ex-doctor with an intriguing offer: a six-month trip to a faraway moon where she claims a stunning fortune awaits.

But this adventure is no easy escape. Danger, passion, secrets and madness await. Can they survive the mission, and each other, to make it out alive?